Pasta with Greens and Spicy Grilled Salmon

Saturday, June 19, 2010

This dishes were both very good on their own, but shouldn't have been paired together.  The salmon was very interesting.  We really enjoyed the salsa - it was even great to clean off our plates with some corn chips - our toddler thought that was the best part!  We had turnip and radish greens from our farm share, so we used that in the pasta.  We feared that our son wouldn't eat the cooked greens (although he's recently been trying salads!) so we pureed the greens once cooked.  The flavors were delicious.

Pasta With Greens
1 bunch cooking greens (kale, lacianto kale, collard greens, turnip greens, chard)
1 Tbsp. salt plus more to taste
1 lb. spaghetti or linguini
2 filets anchovies (optional)
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
3/4 cups freshly shredded grating cheese such as parmesan, asiago, or aged pecorino
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, trim and wash greens, leaving the leaves whole. Add 1 Tbsp. salt to boiling water. Add greens and blanch until wilted, from 30 seconds for chard to 2 minutes for lacianto kale, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the leaves to a colander and rinse them under cool water. Boil pasta until tender to the bite. Drain, reserved 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and set aside. Meanwhile, chop anchovies, if using, garlic, and cooked greens. Once pasta is drained, return pot to medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, pepper flakes, if using, and anchovies, if using. Cook, stirring, until garlic turns just the tiniest bit golden. Add chopped greens and stir to combine. Add reserved liquid and bring to a boil. Add pasta, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Take off heat. Stir in half of the shredded cheese. Taste and add salt to taste, if you like. Divide between plates or pasta bowls, garnish with remaining shredded cheese, and serve.
* Recipe from Molly Watson, About.com Guide
 
Spicy Grilled Salmon
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1 red onion, chopped
6 red radishes, chopped, plus 1 sliced for garnish
2 limes, peeled and cut into segments
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Southwest Spice Mix, recipe follows
1 (2 to 3 pound) salmon fillet
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Salsa, put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; set aside. Heat the grill to medium high.Drizzle some olive oil over the salmon and season it with salt and pepper. Gently rub 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix into the salmon. Pour some olive oil onto a paper towel and rub the grill with it - this will help to prevent the fish from sticking. Grill the salmon flesh side down for about 12 to 15 minutes. To serve, spread most of the Salsa onto a platter and place the salmon, skin side down, on top. Garnish with more Salsa, radish slices, cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil. 
Southwest Spice Mix:
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 tablespoons whole cumin
2 tablespoons whole coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Put the ancho chiles, cumin, coriander, cinnamon stick, and paprika into a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, and toast the spices just until they begin to smell, about 1 minute. Empty into a spice mill and grind to a powder.
* Recipe from FoodNetwork.com by Tyler Florence

~I used 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp ground cumin, 1 Tbsp ground coriander, 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 Tbsp paprika and it was delicious!  We're going to try this as a rub on grilled chicken sometime soon.